Our knowledge of the normative practice of Greek animal sacrifice is usually based on the written and iconographical sources. Recent publications of animal bones from Greek sanctuaries offer new possibilities to define the practical execution of sacrificial rituals. This paper discusses the god's part of the animal victim burnt on the altar, which could consist of the thigh bones or the osphys (sacrum and caudal vertebrae) or both. The altar debris and consumption refuse from ritual contexts allow us to distinguish variations within this norm. Sheep and goat femora were the preferred parts to burn, though at some sites cattle thigh bones were favoured. Tails and sacrum bones are rarely found. Pig bones hardly ever seem to have formed part of the god's share burnt on the altar, though pigs clearly were eaten in sanctuaries. It is suggested that the thigh bones may have been the original offering at a thysia, perhaps a tradition deriving from the Mycenaean period. The burning of the tails could have been inspired from Near eastern sacrificial practices and was perhaps added to the Greek animal sacrifices at a later stage to increase the element of divination.

Animal bones comprise the only category of evidence for Greek cult which is constantly significantly increasing. The use of ever more sophisticated excavation methods demonstrates the importance of the zooarchaeological material for the study of Greek religion and how such material can throw light on texts, inscriptions and images, as the animal bones constitute remains of actual ritual actions and not mere descriptions or representations. This paper outlines some areas where the zooarchaeological evidence may be of particular pertinence, for example, in elucidating the complex and idiosyncratic religious terminology of shares of sacrificial victims mentioned in sacred laws and sacrificial calendars, or in providing a context for a better understanding of the representations of animal parts on Attic vases. The role of meat within ancient Greek society, the choice of sacrificial victims and the handling of “non-sacrificable” animals such as game, dogs and equids within Greek cult can also be clarified by comparisons with the animal remains.

The importance of the osteological evidence as a source for ritual practices in ancient Greece is gradually becoming widely recognized. Animal bones form the only category of evidence for Greek cult which is constantly increasing, and they can complement and elucidate the information provided by texts, inscriptions and images. This volume brings together sixteen contributions exploring ritual practices and animal bones from different chronological and geographical perspectives, foremost ancient Greece in the historical period, but also in the Bronze Age and as early as the Neolithic period, as well as Anatolia, France and Scandinavia, providing new empirical evidence from a number of major sanctuaries and cult-places. On a methodological level, the complexity of identifying ritual activity from the osteological evidence is a recurrent theme, as is the prominence of local variation visible in the bone material, suggesting that the written sources and iconography may offer simplified or idealized versions of the rituals actually performed. Although osteology needs to and should be integrated with other kinds of sources, the independent study of the bones in an unbiased manner is of utmost importance, as the bones can provide a different “reality” than that encountered in our other sources.

Phonation threshold pressure (PTP), frequently used for characterizing vocal fold properties, is often difficult to measure. This investigation analyses the lowest pressure initiating vocal fold collision (CTP). Microphone, electroglottograph (EGG), and oral pressure signals were recorded, before and after vocal warm-up, in 15 amateur singers, repeating the syllable /pa:/ at several fundamental frequencies with gradually decreasing vocal loudness. Subglottal pressure was estimated from oral pressure during the p-occlusion, using the audio and the EGG amplitudes as criteria for PTP and CTP. The coefficient of variation was mostly lower for CTP than for PTP. Both CTP and PTP tended to be higher before than after the warm-up. The results support the conclusion that CTP is a promising parameter in investigations of vocal fold characteristics.

Four different place-names from the north-central Delta are discussed in the article: (1) thename of the town of Disūq, suggested here to derive from an ancient Egyptian expression,possibly ‘the land of Sobek’; (2) Diminka, which may be a compound meaning ‘the new landof Nechao’; (3) idb.wy rx.ty, whose westward location seems supported by a passage in theTemple of Edfu; and finally (4) srn, a hapax, read on a Saite donation stela (Uppsala VM 3208),where the geographical context indicates a location near Buto.

From 404 BCE - 394 CE hieroglyphic texts were in general composed in the high-status language variety termed Traditional Egyptian. This was used exclusively in religious and sacerdotal contexts and is as such opposed to Demotic, which served both as a spoken and as a written language. Traditional Egyptian is a reflex of how the late scribes perceived the classical language. The result is a morphologically impoverished Egyptian (in comparison with the classical language), in combination with a phonology that corresponds largely to Demotic. Traditional Egyptian served as a vehicle for many new compositions, in particular religious inscriptions in temples and on papyri, but also funerary, historical, and autobiographical texts. Meanwhile, older texts in the classical language continued to be copied: as long as there are no reliable means of dating texts according to linguistic criteria, it remains difficult to establish the exact corpus of texts written in Traditional Egyptian.

Approximating humans to animals is a technique employed in Greek Literature, drawing on epic stylistics. The topsy-turvy nature of Old Comedy encouraged the use of animal choruses and characters. In Middle Comedy, their dramatic use appears limited: a number of similes are built around refernces to animals for both male and female characters, producing social comments in humorous form. This paper explores how animal semantics in selected fragments (Alexis and Epicrates) impart occasional otherness to female entities (women and hetairai) reinforcing the sense of difference from the norm, whereas on other occasions they subtly underline the importance of females in the civic environment.

Early Byzantine historiography offers two contradictory portrayals of Theodora (Crowned Empress 427-458 CE). Whereas in Procopius’ Wars of Justinian and Buildings she appears to be a courageous and influential empress, in his later work, Secret History, she is represented as a deviant female figure. Procopius’ narrative of Theodora is overall disapproving of her character and actions. He discusses her early years as a ‘shameless’ performer and a prostitute, brought up in the social margins of Constantinople; Similarly, during her reign, he describes her exercise of power over the palace and her subjects as cruel and violent, driven by premeditated self-interest. In this chapter, I aim to discuss Theodora’s portrayal by Procopius as a sociologically deviant female; it is a systematic study of what the author considers to be social norm violations that are subject to social sanction. I will specifically concentrate on Theodora’s depiction as a sexually deviant young performer. I will then focus upon actions of cruelty and violence in her political and social career as an Empress. I will show how the paradigm of Theodora, in Procopius’ Secret History, can be read as both making visible coercive social, political and religious power structures, as well as, disenfranchising femininity in early Byzantium.

Early Byzantine historiography offers two contradictory portrayals of Theodora (Crowned Empress 427-458 CE). Whereas in Procopius’ Wars of Justinian and Buildings she appears to be a courageous and influential empress, in his later work, Secret History, she is represented as a deviant female figure. Procopius’ narrative of Theodora is overall disapproving of her character and actions. He discusses her early years as a ‘shameless’ performer and a prostitute, brought up in the social margins of Constantinople; Similarly, during her reign, he describes her exercise of power over the palace and her subjects as cruel and violent, driven by premeditated self-interest. In this chapter, I aim to discuss Theodora’s portrayal by Procopius as a sociologically deviant female; it is a systematic study of what the author considers to be social norm violations that are subject to social sanction. I will specifically concentrate on Theodora’s depiction as a sexually deviant young performer. I will then focus upon actions of cruelty and violence in her political and social career as an Empress. I will show how the paradigm of Theodora, in Procopius’ Secret History, can be read as both making visible coercive social, political and religious power structures, as well as, disenfranchising femininity in early Byzantium.

Spartacus is attested in several ancient sources (Plutarch, Appian, and Florus) as the leader of a rebellion against the Roman Republic (73 to 71 BC). Despite that none of Spartacus' historical representations overtly suggest that he aimed at reforming Roman society by abolishing slavery and promoting equality, he has inspired a number of intellectuals across times and cultures as a egalitarian leader. Marx, in the Manchester letter to Engels (1861), considered him a real representative of the ancient 'proletariat’ and members of the German Spartacus League, a forerunner of the Communist Party of Germany. In contemporary popular culture, the most recent reception of the tale of Spartacus is the US Television series Spartacus: Blood and

Sand (premiered on Starz in: 2010- followed by a late prequel and a sequel), where he is also portrayed as a just and egalitarian leader.

In this paper, I will discuss how Spartacus (2010-) promotes social and gender equality as an ancient virtue within a contemporary context. Unlike Spartacus’ historical and other cinematic representations, women play a major role in the 2010- TV series either as slaves that join the rebellion, inspired by the egalitarian Thracian slave-leader, or wealthy Romans who oppose him. Despite incidental nudity, scenes of a sexual and violent nature, a TV MA rating for graphic violence, and strong sexual content in overexposed video stylization, I will show that female characters evolve from the older sexualized and objectified females of gladiatorial Sword and Sandals (e.g. Warrior and the Slave Girl: 1958) to strong and brave action heroines. Finally, I will discuss how the 2010- TV series reflects upon the impact of equality and feminism in the portrayal of the ancient world in our contemporary popular culture.

Spartacus is attested in several ancient sources (Plutarch, Appian, and Florus) as the leader of a rebellion against the Roman Republic (73 to 71 BC). Despite that none of Spartacus' historical representations overtly suggest that he aimed at reforming Roman society by abolishing slavery and promoting equality, he has inspired a number of intellectuals across times and cultures as a egalitarian leader. Marx, in the Manchester letter to Engels (1861), considered him a real representative of the ancient 'proletariat’ and members of the German Spartacus League, a forerunner of the Communist Party of Germany. In contemporary popular culture, the most recent reception of the tale of Spartacus is the US Television series Spartacus: Blood and

Sand (premiered on Starz in: 2010- followed by a late prequel and a sequel), where he is also portrayed as a just and egalitarian leader.

In this paper, I will discuss how Spartacus (2010-) promotes social and gender equality as an ancient virtue within a contemporary context. Unlike Spartacus’ historical and other cinematic representations, women play a major role in the 2010- TV series either as slaves that join the rebellion, inspired by the egalitarian Thracian slave-leader, or wealthy Romans who oppose him. Despite incidental nudity, scenes of a sexual and violent nature, a TV MA rating for graphic violence, and strong sexual content in overexposed video stylization, I will show that female characters evolve from the older sexualized and objectified females of gladiatorial Sword and Sandals (e.g. Warrior and the Slave Girl: 1958) to strong and brave action heroines. Finally, I will discuss how the 2010- TV series reflects upon the impact of equality and feminism in the portrayal of the ancient world in our contemporary popular culture.